Racing game



M. HlGUCHI.

RACING GAME.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I3. 1920.

I Patented Oct. 4, 1921.-

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- WITNESSES flmQ A ATTORNEYS M; meucm.

' RACING GAME.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, I920.

1,392,764. Patented Oct. 4, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

M meucm.

RACING GAME.

APPLICATION HLED MAY 13, 1920.

Patented 0015., 4, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEETv 4|- EFEFE FFEQE.

MONNOSUKE HIG-UCHI, F COLLEGE POINT, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALE T6 TOKICHI MATSUOKA, OF COLLEGE POINT, NEW YORK.

RACING GAME.

Application filed May 13,

T 0 aZZ whom may concern.

Be it known that I, MONNOSUKE HIGUCHI, a subject of the Emperor of Japan, and residing at College Point, county of Queens, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Racing Games, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more especially to racing games in which a number of racing elements are propelled over a given course under the control of speed modifying devices which may be operated at will by the principals who are playing thegame. One of the objects of my invention is to provide racing elements of improved construction which are propelled in an improved manner for simulating the appearance of vehicles, such for example as aeroplanes, and improved means wherebythe speed of each racing element may becontrolled by its principal only through the medium of a variable pressure relation in a plurality of pneumatic pouches or bellows which immediately control the operating connections for said racing element. Another object is to provide improved means for suspending a plurality of racing elements and for driving the propellers on said elements. Other and further objects of invention will appear in the specification and be pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which show a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of a preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on an enlarged scale on the line 22, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the rheostat contacts of one of the control units.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section of the fixed wall of one of the vacuum bellows, the regulator screw for controlling the inlet of air thereto being shown in elevation;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the racing units with its driving connection, parts being shown in section;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of parts shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a front elevation partly broken away of one of the controlling switches at the starting end of the course;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 9 is a vertical transverse section of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented (let. a, 1921. 1920. Serial No. 381,161.

the apparatus showing the several racing elements in elevation;

Fig. 10 is a front elevation of one of the control switches at the finishing end of the course;

Fig. 11 is a wiring diagram showing the controlling circuits for the forward and return movements of the racing elements;

Fig. 12 is a wiring diagram of the sig naling circuits which come into play near the end of the forward movement.

A preferred embodiment of my invention is shown in front elevation in Fig. 1, according to which a table 1 is provided with a plurality of slots 2 for accommodating control levers 3. As shown in Fig. 2, each of the control levers 3 is pivoted at 4 and has its inner end connected by a rod 5 to the center board 6 of a double bellows pump. The board 6 is provided with an intake chamber 7 which is connected by a tube 8 with the interior of a pneumatic pouch 9, said pouch being provided with an inlet tube 10 with an opening 11, the size of which is regulated by a screw 12. It will be understood that'as the air is exhausted from the interior of pouch 9 through the tube 8, that said pouch will collapse when the rate of exhaust is greater than the rate at which the air is admitted through the opening 11. A spring 13 tends to retain lever 3 in its. extreme left hand position according to Fig. 2. As the lever 3 is oscilated to and fro within the slot 2, the double pneumatic pouch or bellows comprising compartments 14: and 15 will be alternately collapsed and expanded, the air withdrawn from the pouch 9 to the tube 8 being alternately admitted through the valves 16 and 17. As the air isadmitted to one chamber 1 1 through the valve 16, air is expelled from the chamber 15 through discharge valve 18. During the movement of the center board 6 in the opposite direction, air is admitted to the chamber 15 through the valve Y17 and expelled from the chamber 14 through an outlet valve 19. The pneumatic pouch 9 is provided with a movable wall 20, a spring 21 tending to hold said movable wall in the position shown in F 2. Mounted on the movable wall is a rod 22 which is bent to overhang a series of contact plates, a contact roller 23 being journaled in the outer end of the rod 22. It will. be understood, therefore, that as the movable wall 20 is oscillated depending upon the amount of air in the pneumatic pouch 9, the

roller 23 will travel to and fro over the contact plates 24, 25,26, 27, 28 and 29. By means of this contrivance, a variable pres- 5 sure of air in the pneumatic pouch 9 is made to provide a variable control of a motor which is included in the circuits now to be pointedout in connection with each of the racing elements or vehicles. Referring now 10 to Figs. 11, a discussion of the circuits for one element will serve for the entire group. Thus, a transformer 30 has one terminal 31. connected by a wire 32 to the field winding 33of the motor, said field winding having its other end connected by a wire 34 to a contact 35 which is connected by a cross wire 36 to a contact 37. When the master control is moved into. operating position (as hereinafter pointed out), a spring contact 38 is made to cover the contact 37 during the forward movement of the racing elements. Said contact 38 is connected by a wire 39 to one terminal of a motor 40, the other terminal of said motor being connected by a'wire 41 with a spring contact 42 which is caused to rest upon a contact 43 at the same time that contact 38 covers contact 37. A wire 44 connects the contact 43 to the rod 22 hereinbefore referred to. The contact plate 25 is connected by a wire 45 with a fixed contact 46 which is disposed adjacent the suspension carriage of the racing elements in its starting position. Awire 47 connects the contact plate 26 with a fixed contact 48.

' Nhenever said carriage is in its extreme left handposition, as shown in Fig. 5, and indicated in Fig. 1 1, a spring blade or switch 49 's pressed into contact with the fixed contacts 46 and 48. The switch blade 49 is connected by a wire 50 to the other terminal 51 of the transformer 30. Leading from the contact plate 27 is a wire 52 which connects to the return line 50. A resistance 53 is connected at one end to the contact plate 27 and at its other end to the contact 25, a wire 54 serving as a low resistance connection between the contact plates 25 and 28. lVheneverthe carriage begins its forward movement, the switch blade 49 is released and 50 underits natural tension, assumes a position shown at the right in Fig. 11. In this position, it presses against a fixed contact 55 which is connected by a wire 56 to a fixed contact 57, the-contacts 35 and 57 being re- 55 spectively covered by the spring plates 42 r and 38 during the return movement of the carriage.

Referring now to Figs. 5, 6, 7 and '8, these operating connections will be readily understood. Thus the motor 40 is provided with a pulley 58 which is connected by a belt 59 to a driven pulley 60, a belt tensioning pulley 61 being mounted on an arm 62 for adjusting the tension of the belt 59. Said pulley 60 is keyed to a shaft 63 which also carries 2.

pulley 64 about which passes a cord or cable 65. Adjacent the other endof the movement 7 of the carriage, said cord or cable '65 passes around another pulley 66 which is journaled in a hanger 67, a suitable tension in the cord or cable 65 being maintained by a weight 68 which is suspended by a cord 69 which passes about a guide pulley 70 and is connected to the hanger 67. One end of the cord or cable 65 is connected to one end of the carriage while the other end of said cord or cable is connected to the other end of the carriage as shown best in Figs. 5 and 6. Suitable meaans for constructlng an inexpensiveracing element or vehicle is comprised in a rod which is suitably bent to provide a longitudinal portion 71, uprights 72 and 73, and a dependent end portion 74 for suspending one end of the vehicle. A suspension cord or cable 75 is secured atopposite ends to fixed frames or beams 76. J ournaled in the uprights 72 and 73,'ar e rollers 77 which run on the cord or cable 75. Suspended below the frames or beams v76, is an operating wire 78 which p'asses about a guide roll or spool 79 which is journaled on a pin 80 secured to the longitudinal portion 71 of the carriage. By this means, a running loop 78 is formed in the cord orcable 78, said loop having driving engagement with a pulley 81 which is mounted on'the'propeller shaft 82 of the miniature'aeroplane. The shaft '82 carries a propeller 83 which is disposed at the front end of the fuselage.

The aeroplane is suspended at its forward end by means of the loop 7 8 and at its rear end by a cord 84 which is connected to the support 74. As shown in Figs. 1 and 9Ithe running gear which has just been described is hidden by a series of curtains or screens 85,tl1e loops which suspend the several aeroplanes being graded in length from front to rear so as to render all'of the racing 'elements visible even though disposed one behind the other. The various circuit wires for controlling the racing elements maybe passed through a tube orpipe 86which extends between theracing elements and the variable pressure pneumatic pouches. A branch 87 of sa d pipe leadstoa controller which comprises a base plate '88 for the spring contacts 38, 42 and a drum 89 which is journalcd in fixed brackets 90 and provided with a controller handle 91 which projects forwardly'in'to suitable position to wire 96 to a contact 93. Leading from the spring contact 92 is a wire 97' which is connected to a switch blade 98 for each of the racing elements. A battery 99 has one of its terminals connected to the wire 97 and under the conditions to be presently pointed out, is adapted to establish a circuit which connects up a signal light in circuit with the transformer 95, said signal light being preferably arranged adjacent the finish of the course for indicating that the corresponding element has won the race. Thus, the first vehicle to finish the course is adapted to press the switch blade 98 into contact with a fixed contact 100 as indicated at the right of Fig. 12. The contact 100 is connected by a wire 101 to a plate 102, said plate being connected by a wire 103 to a coil 104 and theother end of said coil being connected by a wire 105 to a contact 106 which normally engages a fixed contact 107 which is connected by a wire 108 to the negative terminal of the battery 99. It will be seen therefore, that whenever the switch blade 98 is operated as shown at the right in Fig. 12, the coil 104 will be energized. Immediately a spring contact 109 will be thrown against a second spring contact 110, an energizing circuit which includes the transformer 95 being thereby completed. Said circuit includes transformer 95, wire 96, contacts 93, 92, wire 97, switch 98, contact 100, wire 101, plate 102, spring contacts 109, 110, a wire 111, signal light 112 and return wire 113. At the same time, current from the battery 99 passes over the spring contact 109 to a contact 114 which is connected to one terminal of a coil 115, the other terminal of said coil being connected by a wire 116 to a magnet coil 117 which is connected at its other end to the return wire 108. This circuit sustains the operating contact between spring contacts 109 and 110 until such time as the spring contact 98 is released by the return movement of the carriage. The operation of the device is obvious from the foregoing description, it being sufficient to state that whenever any desired number of principals are ready to race their several elements, they manipulate levers 3 corresponding respectively thereto. The controller drum having been moved into position in which the spring contacts 38 and 42 cover the contacts 37 and 43 (see Fig. 11) the pumping action produced by manipulating the lever 3 will vary the position of the conductor rod 22 and after the forward movement has begun, will vary the amount of resistanace in the motor circuit as shown in Fig. 11. Thus the initial position of the roller contact 23 is over the insulated plate 24. Hence, there will be no energizing circuit established until the pneumatic pouch 9 is sufiiciently exhausted to move the roller 23 on to the plate contact 25. At the start, the switch blade 49, by

-' bridging the fixed contacts 46 and 48, will establish a starting circuit with no resistance included in the circuit. YVhen, however, the carriage has begun its forward movement, the plate 49 has moved over into contact with the contact 55 so that more or less of resistance 53 is thrown into a running circuit of the motor depending upon the pressure conditions in the pneumatic pouch 9. It will be seen that if the variable pressure relation between the pneumatic pouches can be controlled with sufiicient accuracy, it is possible to maintain the roller 23 upon the smallest plate contact 27 which will sustain the motor circuit with no resistance therein which would' produce the highest speed of the motor and the best chances for winning. The first vehicle to finish the course operates the spring contact 98 as already described and causes the correspond ing signal light 112 to be energized for indicating the winner.

I claim 1. In a device of the character described, an element to be propelled over a course of travel, means for propelling said element. and means for controlling the speed of said propelling means including a hand operated pneumatic pouch, a power transmitting pneumatic pouch, and means for conveying air from one pneumatic pouch to the other.

2. In a device of the character described, an element to be propelled over a course of travel, means for propelling said element, and means for controlling the speed of said propelling means including a hand oper ated pneumatic pouch, a power transmitting pneumatic pouch, and means for conveying air from one pneumatic pouch to the other, said power transmitting pneumatic pouch being provided with means for controlling the inlet of air thereto.

3. In a device or" the character described, an element to be propelled over a course of travel, a motor for driving said element, an energizing circuit for said motor including a rheostat provided with fixed contacts, a movable contact adapted to traverse said fixed contacts, a pneumatic pouch for moving said movable contact, and a hand driven exhaust pump connected to said pneumatic pouch.

4. In a device of the character described, an element to bepropelled over a course of travel, a motor for driving said element, an energizing circuit for said motor including a rheostat provided with fixed contacts, a movable contact adapted to traverse said fixed contacts, a pneumatic pouch for moving said movable contact, and a hand driven exhaust pump connected to said pneumatic pouch, said pouch being provided with means for varying the admission of air thereinto.

5. In a device of the character described, an element to be propelled over a course of movable contact adapted to traverse saidfixed contacts, a pneumatic pouch for movlng sald movable contact, and hand controlled means "for operatingsaichpneumatic pouch, said fixed contacts being of different widths in the direction of travel of said movable contact.

6. In a'deviceof the character described, a stationary cable, a carriage adapted to travel along said cable, pulleys arranged near opposite ends of said stationary cable, a movable cable extending around said pulleys and connected at opposite ends to said carriage, a racing element suspended from saidcarriage, means for driving one of said pulleys, and hand operated means for controlling the speed of said driving means, said racing element being provided with a propeller and with a cable which partly suspends said racingelement and drives said propeller.

7. In a device of thecharacter described,

a fixed cable, a carriage runningon said fixed cable, sald carriage being provided With an idle pulley, a running cable for propelling said carriage along the fixed cable, means for driving said running cable, a vehicle provided With a pulley and means for device of-the character described,-

hicle provided With a pulley, and means for suspending said vehicle from said carriage including a cable With fixed ends and having intermediate portions running around said pulleys, said vehicle being provided with a propeller driven byv the pulley on said vehicle. 7 v

9. In a device of-the characterdescribed, a plurality of racing elements, a series of hand operated levers for respectively controlling the speedsat' Which said racing elements are propelled, means "for suspending said racing elements at different elevations according to their distances from said levers, means fol-driving each of said racing ele ments, andrmeans for controlling the speed of said driving means including variable action meansoperated by the corresponding hand lever.

MoNNosUKE HIGUOHI. 

